Electric outlet



. 0d. 1, 1935. l. EVlTON 2,015,85

ELECTRIC OUTLET Filed Deo. 1l, 1931 INVENTOR BY /jV/wd y W ATTORNEYS l`Patented Oct. 1t, 1935 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC OUTLETApplication December 11, 1931, Serial No. 580,267

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric outlet that can be convenientlyconnected to a pair of electric wires in such a manner that itconstitutes a socket into which the usual electric light plug can beinserted. Any desired number of such outlets can be attached to a pairof wires forelectric light plugs or other electric plugs.

Heretofore in installing electric outlets of this character thefastening means therefor served as a shaft or axis about which thedevice could be turned with the consequent danger of loosening it andalso the danger of disconnecting the contacts thereof from the electricwires or even short-circuiting the electric wires.

By the present invention an electric outlet of this type is providedwhich is caused to remain in fixed position as soon as the fasteningmeans therefor are tightened because of one or more pins or pr ectionsthereon penetratingthe surface of the wall, floor or ceiling to whichthe device is attached.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection withthe accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section throughan illustrative embodiment of the invention and Fig. 2 is an end View ofthe device partly broken away.

In the drawing reference character I indicates a cup-shaped housing ofrigid, insulating material, such as Bakelite, for example. The housingmay be cylindrically shaped, but is preferably made in the shape of atruncated cone. It may, however, be circular or polygonal in crosssection.

Spring contacts 2 are located in recesses that are provided thereforinside of the housing I for blades of a plug of the well-known sort. Thecontacts 2 are provided with the usual binding screws 3. Referencecharacter 4 indicates a duplex electric wire to which the device isconnected by stripping the insulation from the two wires and clampingthem under the binding screws 3, as most clearly indicated in Fig. 2.Openings are provided through the outer end of the housing I, throughwhich openings the blades of a plug can be inserted to make contact withthe contacts 2.

A central extension 5 extends from the outer or closed end of thehousing I nearly to the other or open end thereof. A `centrallongitudinal `opening 6 extends through the housing and ex- Y `tension 5to accommodate a fastening means,

such as a screw l, which can be screwed into a wall or the like to keepthe device in place.

Recesses 8 are provided in the side walls of the housing I at the openend. The central radial lines of these recesses are less than` 180 apartfor a purpose to be described below.

A closure 9 is provided for the open end of the housing I. It is made ofa shape to t the inside of the end of the housing with the outer sidethereof flush with the end of the housing. It is provided with a centralhole through which the 5 fastening screw `I` extends. A ledge or stop I0is provided along the inside of the open end of the housing terminatingin the same plane as the end of the extension 5. It terminates adistance short of the end of the housing equal to the thick- 10 ness ofthe disc 9. Y The rim of the disc 9 rests against the ledge IEI and themiddle portion thereof against the end of the extension 5.

Pins or projections II are provided on the outer side of the closure 9offset from the center 15 of this closure to penetrate the surface ofthe wall or the like to which the device is attached. The pins orprojections II may be conveniently provided as struck-up, triangularlyshaped tongues from a metal disc-shaped plate I2 that 20 constitutes aportion of the closure 9. Plates I4 and I5 o f insulating material onopposite sides of the plate I2 also constitute portions of the disc 9.The tongues II may pass through notches II along the edge of theinsulating plate I4 and the 25 ends of these tongues may be bentinwardly slightly to keep the plate I4 in place on the plate I2. TonguesI8 may be struckup from the plate I2 in the opposite direction from thetongues II and pass through openings I9 in the plate I5 with 30 the endsof the tongues I8 bent over the edges of these openings to keep theplate I5 in assembled relation with the other parts of the closure 9.

Lugs or extensions 2B are provided on the closure S to fit the recesses8 above referred to. The recesses 8 and the lugs 28 are less than 180apart in a circumferential direction so that the closure 9 cannot be putin the housing vI with the pins or projections II on the inside sol thatwhen the screw 'I is tightened to fasten the device to a surface thepins I I necessarily penetrate the surface and prevent the device frombeing turned around the screw 'I with the consequent danger arisingtherefrom.

I claim:

1. In an electric outlet, a closure comprising a metal sheet andinsulating sheets on opposite sides thereof, said metal sheet havingpointed projections extending beyond the outer surface of one of saidinsulating sheets.

2. In an electric outlet, a closure comprising a metal sheet andinsulating sheets on opposite sides thereof, said metal sheet havingpointed projections yextending beyond the outer surface of one of saidinsulating sheets, and struck up 55 tongues attaching it to the otherone.

ISIDOR LEVITON.

